


Beyond the Wall

by Beltenebra



Category: In Other Lands - Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Boys In Love, Companionable Snark, Comrades in Arms, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Rescue Missions, Wiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 08:58:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13050756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beltenebra/pseuds/Beltenebra
Summary: When what should have been a routine patrol turns dire for Luke and Serene, it's up to Elliot to go back to his previous home beyond the Wall and rescue his friends.





	Beyond the Wall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nightalp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightalp/gifts).



> Written for Yuletide 2017. Nightalp, I had a lot of fun writing this!! I love the book so much so it was both a little nerve-wracking and thrilling to write this. I tried to balance action and humor, I hope you enjoy the result! Happy Yuletide! <3

“It’s just a routine patrol, he said. It will be completely uneventful and you’ll just complain all the way back about having wasted your afternoon, he said. Ha!” 

Elliot climbed out of the shrub he had been unceremoniously and hastily shoved into, picking branches out of his hair and muttering, his mind racing. 

While being right was one of Elliot’s favorite things in the universe this was one case where he would be happier to concede the point to Luke. 

It had been a fairly routine patrol mission, though one of the first to survey the land right along the Wall. The fort Elliot, Luke, Serene, and Golden were currently assigned to encompassed territory that stretched from a series of lakes up to an unexplored stretch of the Wall. While previous Commanders had been content to leave a kind of untouched no man’s land along the border, the newly arrived Commander Whitestone had decided that they should have as much information as possible. 

Elliot liked Commander Whitestone. He was young and progressive and only threw Elliot out of his office about half the time and he almost always heard him out first. He hadn’t exactly approved Elliot’s presence on this particular patrol but that had literally never stopped him so Luke and Serene didn’t waste much energy trying to talk him out of it. 

The first few hours after they reached the Wall had been uneventful. They hiked along, Serene taking notes and Elliot musing aloud. Who built the Wall in the first place, who maintained it? Everyone maintained that there was no magic here but there had to be _something_. Not everyone from Elliot’s country could see the Wall, that had to be some kind of magic. Was it woven into the stones themselves? 

Luke speculated with him, floating conjectures with a small smile so Elliot could dismiss them with an irritated wave or expand on them. He badgered Luke into collecting a few small samples of Wall rock though he had no idea what he might do with them later. It never hurt to have samples. The atmosphere was relaxed and Elliot was enjoying the easy conversation, Serene’s calm smile, and the shine of sunlight turning Luke’s hair into a golden corona. 

Then they found the ladders. There was a section of the Wall that had been fitted with what looked like a pretty heavy duty rope and pulley system alongside some professional grade ladders.

Elliot’s mind immediately went into overdrive. He and certain others from England could see the Wall and cross through it as if the barrier didn’t exist at all. Why would they need ladders? But what about people like Luke and Serene? And if there were other people who couldn’t see the Wall, could they still be directed over it by people who could? What were they transporting that they needed a pulley system? 

He was just about to commandeer the conversation Luke and Serene were having when they heard the unmistakable signs of people approaching. Just before Luke and Serene snapped into their battle stances Luke unceremoniously shoved Elliot into a bush behind them with a hissed order to ‘stay hidden’. 

Elliot was no idiot. While he didn’t _enjoy_ being shoved into a bush he knew better than anyone that staying far away from a battle, even if he was being protected by talents beyond reproach, was his best bet. He settled himself into cover just before the people came within speaking distance, pushing aside a few branches to make a small space so he could see. 

It was two men and a woman, several years older than them. They were dressed in clothes that Elliot immediately recognized as modern but vague enough in design that someone on this side of the Wall would have to look closely to realize they were out of place. Serene had her bow drawn and an arrow trained on the group as soon as they had come into view and Luke’s sword was ready in a defensive stance. 

But Elliot felt his blood turn to ice in his veins. These people weren’t from here. They could have anything. They could have _guns_. 

Luke called out in a calm, steady voice - asking who they were and what they were doing with the equipment. 

“I am Sergeant Sunborn and this is Sergeant Chaos-of-Battle, we are authorized to bring you back to Northreach Fort for questioning if you do not cooperate.” 

Elliot saw the way they looked at Serene’s delicately pointed ears and almond shaped eyes and the greedy gleam in the largest man’s eyes when Luke gave his name. 

“Sunborn,” he drawled as his companions hands moved slowly towards their belt holsters. “I’ve heard some interesting things about you, boy-o. You’re half bird, ain’t ya?” 

Luke clenched his jaw and his shoulders tensed ever so slightly. 

“We’ve heard enough,” Serene cut in, her voice frosty. “Surrender any weapons you are carrying. If you come quietly we will be lenient.” 

The woman laughed - a nasty chuckle that would echo in Elliot's head. It seemed like time slowed, though he knew everything happened nearly instantaneously. The man and woman in the back drew small weapons from their belts and fired. 

Luke Sunborn and Serene-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle were unarguably the most skilled cadets in the force but even they were no match for a long range taser. Serene managed to fire off an arrow before she went down, getting one of the men in the upper arm, making him shout with pain. But she and Luke both went limp a blessedly brief moment later and Elliot willed his muscles to stone, slowed his breath so he wouldn’t betray his presence. Luke and Serene would need him. And he needed as much information as possible. 

The uninjured man and woman bound Luke and Serene’s hands and feet, discussed whether to take their weapons and decided to leave them in favor of traveling light and fast. In response to the leader’s order to ‘keep them out’ the woman injected something into each of their arms. Elliot told himself that it was logical for them to keep Luke and Serene alive. The people seemed to know they were valuable. They would stay alive until he could get them back. 

They had to. 

As he watched the most important people in his life get trussed up and drugged and readied to be carted off he forced his brain into processing mode, gathering every scrap of data he could from their attackers’ conversation. They had a car ready near the field on the other side of the Wall. There was a base of operations in Exeter. That was good, Exeter was the closest large city and Elliot knew it well enough, it’s where he was from after all. They planned to stash their new ‘acquisitions’ and knock off to celebrate such a valuable score ‘an elf girl _and_ that bird fucker Sunborn!’ and knock off for a celebratory drink at a place called ‘Jerry’s’. They thought it would be at least two or three days until their contacts in London could give them further instructions. This was good. Elliot could work with all of these things. 

Watching them hoist Luke and Serene over the Wall and disappear into the gathering twilight was one of the most difficult things he had ever done but he would be less than useless if he ended up right next to them in the van. 

As soon as everyone was over the Wall and he had counted to a slow, steady 100, Elliot extracted himself as quietly as possible and sped off toward the fort in the fastest run of his life. 

When he arrived a few punishing hours later he raced past the guards and straight into the Commander’s office. Luckily the entire staff was used to this kind of behavior from him and barely gave him a second glance. 

He crashed through the door and paused for a moment, panting for breath. 

“Ah, nice to see you Schafer,” Commander Whitestone said mildly, not bothering to look up from the stack of documents before him. “No doubt just returned from your ‘extended research project’ and certainly not the patrol I explicitly did not send you on.” 

“Commander, people from the other side of the Wall took Sunborn and Chaos-in-Battle.” Elliot’s voice sounded hard and flat. Impressive given how shaky and sick he felt.

Commander Whitestone snapped to attention. 

“Sit and tell me everything,” the Commander ordered and Elliot gratefully dropped into an empty chair, distilling the events into a straightforward battlefield style report as the Commander took notes. 

When he indicated that he was finished, the Commander nodded. “Good job, corporal. We’ll take things from here. He dropped a strong hand on Elliot’s shoulder as he passed his chair in what was probably meant to be a comforting gesture. “We’ll find them, Schafer. I’ll assemble a team of the best and we’ll get them back.” 

The Commander paused for a moment at the door, looking back at Elliot with a pained expression. “I’m sure you know this already but you can not be part of this rescue expedition, Shafer. You’re emotionally compromised and your talents are needed here.” 

Elliot kept his voice even and reasonable sounding, “Understood, Commander. I promise that I will not attempt in any way to join, affect, or influence the party you are assembling.” Whitestone nodded his approval and strode out of the room. When Elliot crossed through the main courtyard of the fort the Commander was barking out orders, gathering troops and supplies. He stuck to the growing shadows and went to find a rope. 

Golden found him in one of the kitchen storerooms, hastily shoving non-perishable supplies into a pack. “I heard what’s happening,” he hissed acidly. “Were you planning on telling me at all?” 

Elliot just nodded and tossed him the empty pack he had prepared, “Grab some first aid supplies and anything else you think you can’t live without for a few days. Meet me by the south gate in ten minutes and don’t let anyone see you.” 

He turned back to the pack he was filling but Golden stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, his lovely features softened by worry and gratitude. He pulled Elliot into a quick, wordless hug and Elliot let himself lean into the gesture for a second before Golden pulled back with a decisive nod and took off into the gloom. 

They were gone before the official expedition made it out of the gates, slipping out quietly under the cover of darkness on two horses hastily borrowed from the stables. Golden was a frequent and skilled rider and on excellent terms with the staff. No one so much as blinked when he told them he was taking a little nighttime ride. He assured Elliot they could turn the horses loose when they reached the Wall and they would be able to find their way back to the fort. 

Elliot told Golden the whole story in hushed tones as they retraced their earlier journey. 

“Will I even be able to get over the Wall? I can’t even imagine it,” Golden asked. 

He tried not to focus on the image of Luke and Serene being hauled over the Wall like sacks of potatoes. “Luke and Serene were able to be moved over it with equipment so the ladder should work for you. I think if you’re from here you can see the Wall and go over it. But only some people from my side can come and go.” 

They reached the site with the ladder and pulley with minimal backtracking. Elliot sent up a silent thanks to all of the tracking and orienteering training Luke had forced on him over the last year. He told himself he would definitely see Luke again so he would be able to thank him in person and he might even consider actually doing so. 

After making sure Golden made it up to the top and assuring him that he would be on the other side in a moment to help him get down, Elliot was faced with the solid looking Wall. He allowed himself one deep breath before he closed his eyes and stepped through the stone. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but there was no noticeable change. On the Borderlands side he had been in a dark forest, now he was in a dark field. He would’ve killed for a torch, he thought, suddenly beset by inappropriate giggles when he realized that while on one side a torch would be a chunk of wood and on the other it would be a battery powered device, the word was the same. 

From his perch fifteen feet up Golden made a soft, questioning noise and Elliot got himself under control so he could steady the rope they had secured at the top for Golden to shimmy down. 

He landed with a hop and flourish, ever graceful, and looked around. 

“Well, this is… a big, dark field.” 

“Welcome to the other side of the world,” Elliot replied sardonically. 

“Now what,” Golden asked.

“Now we walk until we hit a road,” Elliot summoned a small, rueful smile. “The stories never tell you how much of adventuring is just walking around trying to get somewhere important. It’s got to be three-quarters at least.” 

“I would definitely skim those parts,” Golden confided as they set off. 

It wasn’t long before they hit a road. Elliot had no way of knowing what time it was and he hoped there would be some cars, one of which would be willing to give them a ride. 

They walked down the side of the road until they reached a streetlight, Elliot thought that if drivers could see them - a tallish but young looking ginger kid and a beautiful blonde guy - that they would look sufficiently non-threatening even if they were both dressed for a Renaissance Faire. 

Cars were not especially frequent but Elliot filled the time between vehicles zooming past without giving them so much as a glance by answering some of Golden’s many many questions about this world. The explanation ‘magic wagons’ didn’t do it for Golden and Elliot was still trying to explain the basics of combustion engines with a car finally slowed down and pulled up next to them. 

A youngish man and woman sat in the front, gawking as they rolled down the window.

“Oh my god,” the woman said, eyebrows raised, “are you guys Lord of the Rings cosplayers?” Her attention was decidedly focused on Golden, her voice slightly breathy. “You’re the best Legolas I’ve ever seen.” 

“Yes! Yes, that’s exactly what we are,” Elliot jumped in. “We are doing cosplay and our mates played a juvenile prank on us, stranding us in this field.” 

The young man looked sceptical. “He looks ok,” he gestured to Golden, “But who are you supposed to be? Faramir or somebody? You’re too tall to be a Hobbit or a Dwarf but your costume sucks.” 

Elliot rolled his eyes, “Right. Because that is the most important thing to focus on in this situation. You’re right. I utterly failed to put the proper amount of effort into my costume and have brought shame upon myself and my companion. Now are you going to give us a ride to town or not?” 

“Aw, Elliot, I don't think you’ve shamed me. You can’t help it that you’re not a dwarf,” Golden assured him with a gentle pat on the shoulder.

The girl giggled and indicated that they should hop in the backseat. 

“Now make the magic chariot advance. We are in dire haste!” Golden instructed imperiously. 

“Wow, you are really dedicated,” the man muttered. “We’re only about thirty minutes outside of town, mate.” 

“Fantastic,” Elliot smiled, happy with the stroke of luck, “We’re going to need a library.” 

They made it to the library less than an hour before they closed and Elliot didn’t waste time, making a beeline for the bank of public use computers. Golden trailed after him gaping and Elliot told him to knock himself out while he did some quick research. 

“There are so _many_...” Golden marveled as he disappeared into the stacks. 

It didn’t take Elliot long to find Jerry’s - a seedy pub near a rough part of town - and scope out the surrounding streets, thank you Google! Unfortunately it was a ways across town, and they didn’t have time to waste. Another quick search revealed that there was a much nicer pub right next door to the library and that it was ladies night. It wasn’t ideal solution but he could work with it. Lucky for Luke and Serene he was the once coming to the rescue. He wasn’t sure if Luke would be able to scam someone to save him. Serene would definitely try but she would be terrible at it. Fingers crossed that Golden would be amenable. 

He tracked Golden down and physically hauled him away from a shelf, ‘How did everyone make their writing so easy to read?! And it all looks so similar! And there are just So Many Books!’.

Once they got outside, Golden seemed more focused. Elliot steered him towards the pub and outlined his plan. 

“We need to get across the city. And to do that we need money.” 

“Ok!” Golden agreed enthusiastically. “Where does one get money?” 

Elliot took Golden by the shoulders and gave him his best earnest and sincere gaze. “Now you and I both know that your heart is pure and your love for Serene is true.” 

“As true as the North star!”

“Of course. But just for tonight I’m going to need you to pretend that Serene doesn’t exist.”

Golden cocked his head, considering. 

Elliot took a deep breath. “I need you to use… wiles.” 

His friend’s dark eyes lit up with delight, “Oooh, I’ve always wanted to use wiles! What do we need to do?” 

“You’ll need to distract a nice woman or man so I can steal their wallet.” 

Golden nodded sagely, “By composing flattering poetry or performing an enthralling song for them no doubt.” 

Elliot took in the picture his friend made from his shiny, silky blonde locks, to his delicate features, to his long, shapely legs encased in soft, clinging fawnskin. “Yeah, or, you know, just standing there. Whatever means necessary!” 

They made their way inside and perched at one corner of the bar. There was just enough time for Golden to marvel about the invisible orchestra before a handsome bartender and two young women swooped down on them, asking if they were new to the area. 

Elliot hadn’t even opened his mouth before Golden batted his lashes and smiled winsomely, informing them that he was _very_ new indeed and had no idea what was good to drink and could they be of any assistance? 

“Just one drink, mind you.” Elliot murmured to him, “It would not do for either of us to become intoxicated during my first rescue.”

Luckily it seemed like Golden was highly skilled in the art of gracefully accepting drinks and appearing to drink them while not actually drinking them. It wasn’t long before he was holding court with several enthusiastic ladies and one or two gentlemen. 

Elliot tried to make himself invisible, something that was irritatingly easy to accomplish, and chose one of the women who seemed of comfortable means and who, more importantly, had her back to him and her purse abandoned on a stool right beside him. 

The dim bar lights, activity, and Golden’s naturally distracting everything made it shockingly easy for Elliot to ease one of her credit cards and a few bills out of the wallet and slide them into his pocket. A few moments later he pulled Golden away from the crowd, ‘Just one dance, I promise!’ and they slid towards the door. 

“Wow!” Golden enthused, flush with excitement, “that was my first act of crime. How thrilling!” 

“Right,” Elliot said quickly, trying not to panic at the prospect of turning his friend’s beloved affianced into a degenerate, adrenaline junkie criminal. “But a necessary evil with the noble end of saving our comrades.” 

“Of course!” Golden winked at him. 

Elliot supposed he had done what he could. “Now let’s get out of here before they notice you’re not coming back.” 

They took off around the corner and Elliot hailed a cab, sliding in and giving him the address for Jerry’s. 

“You’re sure about the address, lads,” the cabbie asked, eyeing them skeptically. “Doesn’t seem like there are many Dungeons and Dragons games going on in that part of town.” 

“Quite sure, thank you sir,” Elliot shot back quickly. “There’s this underground LARP thing, you see. And erm, geocaching. Takes us to all sorts of places. And we need to get there fast, please.” 

When they were finally standing on the sidewalk in front of the rundown facade of Jerry’s what they were about to attempt finally filtered through the layer of competence and focus Elliot had painstakingly built up throughout the night. They had kept moving and he had stubbornly avoided letting his fear catch up but now he could feel it nipping at his heels, tightening his chest, pricking just behind his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking and willed himself not to panic. 

“-iot. _Elliot_.” 

He jerked his gaze over to Golden, who had been trying to get his attention. His thoughts came flooding out into the space between them. “What am I thinking?! There are criminals in there. People who kill people, or at least do them grievous bodily harm. They have tasers and we have knives and Luke and Serene’s weapons that we’re not even really trained to use. Unless you happen to have a collapsible javelin on you somewhere?” 

Golden’s eyes widened a bit but Elliot’s words just dashed headlong. “Collapsible javelins probably aren’t even a thing, which I would know if I was trained for this kind of thing. What if they’re still unconscious, what if they’re not even here? What if we’re too late-” 

He registered the crack of Golden’s palm across his cheek almost before the sting. Elliot blinked up at his friend, his words halted in their tracks. 

“Listen Elliot. I’m scared too. No one could have prepared us for this but you got us this far. We love Serene and Luke and we’re the only ones who can save them. So we’re going to do that. Ok?” 

“...Ok.”  
Elliot took and deep breath and dared to poke his head inside Jerry’s long enough to get a good look around. He spied the kidnappers in a corner booth towards the back of the bar. There were a few empty glasses on the table in front of them, he didn’t think it looked like they were planning to leave soon but that might’ve been wishful thinking. Either way they needed to move quickly. 

They surveyed the building around them. Most of them seemed pretty industrial - old warehouses, many boarded up and heavily chained. There were a few dilapidated houses mixed in, some with broken windows. 

One place caught his eye, a house that looked run down but not bombed out. There were bars on the basement windows, storm doors right on the sidewalk leading down into the cellar, and a big transport van parked out front. 

When they inspected the van they saw several coils of rope and a ladder just like the ones at the Wall in the back. While he wasn’t 100% sure this was it, it certainly seemed likely. The storm doors were locked but the metal around the lock was old, corroded and rusty. It gave way with just a few well placed kicks. Elliot winced at the sound but no one materialised to see what was going on.

He and Golden armed themselves with knives and cautiously made their way down the steps, closing the doors above them. It was completely dark but Elliot had packed a firestarter. At the bottom of the steps he flicked it into life and held it up in order to find a light. Golden was tense at his back and they both tried to ignore the quiet rustling sounds in the dark around them. 

Elliot finally saw a pull string and tugged. The light flared to life and he blinked to adjust his eyes. They were surrounded by cages. Definitely the right place. 

“ _Elliot_?!” 

He whipped around to see Luke crouched in a large dog kennel in the corner. All of the feelings he’d been trying to push back and hold down came rushing back as he found himself standing in front of the cage, hands curled over the bars. 

Luke closed his hands over Elliot’s. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’m not dreaming am I?” 

His voice came out strangled, choked with emotion, “I’m here, Luke.” 

“Whoa, you’re using my name? Things must be really bad. We’re all going to die aren’t we?” Luke’s eyes were shadowed but he managed to call up a small smile for Elliot. 

“Shut up, loser,” Elliot managed. 

“That’s more like it.” 

He saw Golden approach a cage behind him and greet Serene. Elliot’s heart constricted painfully again when he saw that she was awake and mobile. 

One of her hands reached out to stroke Golden’s cheek as he berated her. “You’re one of the best warriors of your generation! How could you let yourself become incapacitated like that?!” 

Elliot could just make out Serene’s blush in the harsh light. “Did you say the best?” 

Golden glared daggers at her, “ _One_ of the best. And that is _Really_ not the salient part of that sentence.” 

“Well, they did use tasers,” Elliot offered, beaming at Serene. “You can’t really blame them for not being able to fight their way back from that. Much.” 

“What are tasers?” 

Elliot considered trying to explain current and amps and Maxwell’s whole of electromagnetic theory to Golden and decided that in interest of time he could fudge it a little. “It’s like lightning. That you can hold in your hand.” 

Golden gasped theatrically, that sounds diabolical!” 

“Ah, my harsh mistress, Electricity. How I have longed for her.” 

“Um, Elliot,” Luke interjected. “Could you maybe get us all out of here?” 

“Yes. That is in fact, the _entire_ plan. Let us commence doing that thing that you just said.” Looking around he saw there were actually quite a few cages crammed down here and that at least two more of them were occupied. A large kennel near Luke’s contained two troll children cowering in the corner, doing their best to stay out of the light cast by the single light bulb and there was what looked like a young centaur chained up in a makeshift stall. 

They had a large tank half filled with murky water and aquatic weeds set up in the corner but it was otherwise empty. They hadn’t gotten a mermaid yet, thank goodness. Elliot had no idea how they would go about transporting them back if they had. 

“Holy shit.” He turned to the trolls first and spoke to them as soothingly as possible in Trollish, “I’m not here to hurt you. We’re going to try to take you home.” 

When he looked at the Centaur, she spoke to him first in Common, “You’re not with those people, right?” 

“No, we’re here to help.” He could feel the tears pricking the corners of his eyes now but he tried to keep it together. Golden reached out and squeezed his hand hard and they sprang into action. 

The cages were all locked of course but Elliot found a heavy wrench and with Golden’s help he was able to knock the lock off of Luke’s. Luke took the wrench from him and freed Serene and the troll children. Serene went to look at the centaur girl’s restraints while Elliot brought them up to speed. 

“They’re in the bar around the corner. I can try to hotwire the van outside to get us all out of here but I think we might behoove us to try to take these assholes down.” 

Luke looked at him admiringly, “I didn’t understand half of what you just said but we’ll follow your lead, Elliot.” 

“Oh god, I’m the leader? I know I’m naturally bossy and I always _say_ I should be the leader but I don’t actually want to be the leader.” 

“Elliot, breathe,” Serene ordered and he took a huge gulp of air, letting it out slowly and trying to calm down. 

“Ok. Here’s what I think. I think they will be back soon and we should ambush them. Luke and Serene you should get back into the cages so they won’t notice until it’s too late. Golden and I will hide in the shadows and. We’ll try to disarm them and get the tasers - take them down and tie them up.” 

“And just leave them here,” Serene asked. 

“No,” Elliot’s voice was hard. “There’s more to this than just them. It sounds like someone is… buying people from Otherlands. We need information and we need justice. We’ll take them back with us.” 

“Yes,” Luke agreed firmly. “I think that’s the best plan. 

Elliot explained the plan to the troll children who still hadn’t spoken but they nodded hesitantly. Serene reluctantly closed herself back in her cage, crouching with her bow beside her so she’d be ready to move quickly. Luke stepped back towards the other kennel when Elliot grabbed his arm, hauling back against his chest. 

He saw Luke’s eyes widen a second before he swooped in and kissed him, firm and grateful. It wasn’t a romantic kiss, they didn’t have time to enjoy it but Elliot hoped it communicated how glad he was that Luke was alive and ok and _here_. 

“To be continued,” Elliot whispered and gently shoved Luke away so they could both get into position. 

The time they spent waiting there in the dark felt like the longest moments of Elliot’s life. His eyes slowly adjusted to the faintest of light coming in through the window and the crack between the storm doors but he couldn’t make out any of his friends. 

His heart pounded at every sound and when they finally heard voices outside drawing near and the rattle of the doors he was certain they would be able to hear its painful thump. When it finally happened it was just like a movie, just like he had played it out in his head. They let all three of them come down the stairs and just as the first man reached up to pull the string and illuminate the room they attacked. 

Elliot and Golden came from behind, grabbing for the other man and woman’s belts, snatching the tasers. Luke and Serene sprang out of their confines, brandishing weapons like avenging angels. Golden quickly figured out which end of the taser was which and zapped the man closest to him. 

“Merciful gods!” he yelped, almost as loud as the man who thrashed in from of him. 

Elliot took the woman down while Luke and Serene held the leader at bay at sword and arrow point. He probably should have felt something other than savage joy as he pressed the taser into the small of the man’s back and pressed the button but he really didn’t. “See how _you_ like it. 

Within minutes, all three attackers were unconscious on the floor. Elliot’s hands started shaking as they were tying the final knots to keep them incapacitated. He found a key ring in one man’s pocket that looked like it had the van key so that was one fewer thing to worry about. 

Serene went outside to keep watch while Golden and Luke gently shepherded the children up the stairs and into the van. Elliot did a final sweep for anything that looked like it might be useful. He would have liked to go through the upper floors looking for information but they needed to move. 

He slid into the driver’s seat and exchanged a small, tight smile with Luke as he fired up the van. “I don’t have what is strictly speaking any kind of driver’s license or a vast amount of driving experience so this might be interesting. Please make yourselves as secure as possible,” he warned and sped off into the city. 

“Do you know how long those kids had been there,” he asked Luke in a low voice once they were near the city limits. 

Luke grimaced, “I think the centaur girl had been there for at least a week, maybe more. She wasn’t sure. And I don’t speak enough Trollish to ask the other kids.” 

“We’re going to have to find out how extensive this is,” Serene added from the back. “We can’t just accept that we don’t know how many children they’ve stolen or where they’ve gone.” 

“No,” Elliot agreed, “We’re going to get answers.” 

“You are directing the magic wagon very well, Elliot,” Golden piped up. 

“Thanks, but hang on because it’s about to get bumpy.” They had reached the part of the highway he and Golden had hiked up to hours ago. He turned the van into the field and hoped he was driving the right direction. “Next stop, Borderlands.” 

Elliot was extremely lucky he didn’t run right over Commander Whitestone. The force from the fort had set up camp right next to the Wall on the English side. He managed to halt the van centimeters from the perimeter. 

They tumbled out of the car with their hands help up, showing immediately that they were friendly. Luke hailed the camp and the soldiers came flooding out of the tents. 

“Sunborn!” The Commander called out, surprised. “Schafer?!” he added a second later, voice laced with disbelief. 

“Sergeant Chaos-of-Battle reporting in as well, sir!,” Serene added cheerfully. 

“I kept my promise not to involve myself in your exploratory mission in any way, Commander.” 

The Commander wasn’t buying it, “We’ll discuss this at length later, Corporal Schafer. 

“Of course, sir. In the meantime there are a few other matters to attend to,” Elliot gestured to the children that Serene and Golden had helped out of the van and the people tied up inside it. 

The military machine swung into action, soldiers taking charge of the prisoners and the medic taking the children to be checked over. Elliot, Luke, Serene, and Golden found themselves in the Commander’s tent explaining the events from their various perspectives. 

“The implications of this are certainly troubling but we are certainly fortunate that you were able to discover this much and recover everyone safely. We will be undertaking a thorough investigation. I have no doubt further operations will need to be conducted.” Commander Whitestone frowned gently. “It’s a good thing you returned so quickly, Corporal Schafer. People kept approaching us and asking if we were ‘filming a movie’ or what battle we were ‘reenacting’ I honestly had no idea what to tell them.”  
Elliot and Golden both burst out laughing and the Commander just gave them a wry smile. 

It was dawn when they finally made it back to the fort. They had traveled slowly but after the non-stop frantic pace of the past twelve hours or so Elliot was in no rush. It meant he could walk with Serene’s arm slung over his shoulder and his fingers entwined with Luke’s, Golden smiling on Serene’s other side, reunited and whole. 

They all shared tight embraces before Serene and Golden headed to their quarters. Serene pressed a fierce kiss to Elliot’s brow. “You were magnificent, Elliot. I knew you would devise a way to rescue us. Thank you for keeping my beloved safe as well.” 

“Keep him safe?! He saved me at least twice. Make sure to commend him too.” 

“Oh, I will,” she winked lasciviously and Elliot rolled his eyes, shooing them off. 

In their room Luke shed his shirt and stretched his wings with a half pained, half pleasured groan. “Gods, that feels incredible. I didn’t dare loose my wings in front of our captors, I didn’t want to confirm their suspicions.” 

Elliot stepped up behind him, pressing against the length of his back, sliding his arms around Luke’s waist and kissing the soft skin between his wings. He buried his face in Luke’s neck and finally, _finally_ let his muscles loosen. 

“I was so scared.” His voice was hoarse and he could feel the hot slide of a tear down his cheek. “I mean, I know you fight, I’ve seen you in battle. But these people are so dangerous and to see you go down like that before you could even move-” 

Luke slid his hands to cover Elliot’s and tangle their fingers together. “But you didn’t hesitate. You made a plan and came to find us. You came to a completely different land.” He turned to face Elliot so he could wrap his arms and wings around him. “You always make the best plans.” 

“I am never going to let you forget that you said that,” Elliot chuckled, never able to pass up an opportunity like that. “I should get it tattooed on my chest: ‘Thus spake Commander Luke Sunborn: Elliot Schafer makes the best plans’. 

Luke’s voice was impossibly fond as he nuzzled Elliot's ear, “My strange boy from beyond the Wall. You’re impossible.” 

“Nah, I’m merely improbable. But you love me.” 

Elliot’s hands clenched softly in the feathers at Luke’s back as Luke brought his hands up to tip Elliot’s face down and show him exactly how much. 

He knew that this was only the beginning of this story, that there was a lot more work to do, more things to discover, hopefully more people to save. The adventure would continue but for now they were here, and safe, and together. And that was everything he wanted.


End file.
